Monday, January 03, 2011

Report Card Time

So it's time to review 2010. Let's see how I did against my goals for this year. I don't think it's going to be pretty, strictly speaking by objective measures. But when I look at this year subjectively, I am pretty dang happy with it. Mostly. Let's get to it, shall we?

Run 1200 miles. That's 100 miles a month. 25 a week. Totally do-able. I did 900 in 2009, and that was with some significant slacking in the non-June summer months. DONE. And over done. I ran a total of 1469 miles, well above the goal for the year. A+ baby!!! Only four months had less than 100 miles logged, including November, which with the exception of the NYC marathon was kind of a sucky month for me. Here are the hard numbers for 2010, with comparisons from previous three years afterward:

Lose the monkey. The 5:00 marathon monkey. I *know* I can finish a marathon in less than five hours. This is the year it happens. How? By ditching the "beginner" marathon training plan I've used for the last six races (yeah, I know!!) and using an intermediate plan that calls for more mileage, speedwork and hills. It's gonna hurt, and some days, it's going to suck, but, not as much as finishing another 5:00+ marathon will. I didn't do this. I did use a more aggressive plan at the end of the year for Tyler and New York, though, which contributed to the vast increase in mileage, and my body tolerated the increase in mileage fairly well. I didn't miss but one or two workouts in 18 weeks of training for NYC, so I know my body can handle this kind of mileage. What I didn't count on was tweaking my knee and dealing with that injury, and having that keep me from hitting this goal twice this fall. It's not an excuse, really, though. It's just what happened. What this means is I get to try again... For now, this gets an F. Dang.

Qualify for Marathon Maniacs. Yep, you heard me. At the Bronze level, with three in 90 days. Which three? Cowtown in February, Oklahoma City in April, and somewhere else in March. Haven't figured that one out yet. There is a Texas race, but I'd rather go somewhere else and get another state. Having three on the schedule early in the year ups my chances of finishing under 5:00, too, btw. I finished four marathons this year, and it wasn't the knee that kept me from the fifth in December that would have sealed Maniacs, it was the stupid gall bladder. No worries. Just like the sub-5:00 goal, all that not reaching this goal means is that I get to try it again. And there is a plan in place that is going to guarantee this. if I have to freaking crawl 26 miles I will get this in 2011. For now, give me an Incomplete.

Go back to that triathlon thang. Yep, TxTRISkatemom is on a comeback. After a spring with three marathons, I'll switch gears and hit at least two sprint triathlons in June and July. At least one will be in open water. I have to get better at swimming, I just have to. There is no alternative. I am leaving the door open for more as the summer goes on, but the two sprint are the goal right now. I'd say two sprint and an Oly, if I didn't have to switch back to marathon training by August, to be ready to...Yeah, this didn't happen. I focused on the running. And there was the whole I unloaded the Purple People Eater by leaving it on the curb so I didn't have a bicycle. And the whole I needed the stress relief of running it out more than I needed to get in the pool. So give me a big fat Incomplete on this one.

Run the New York City marathon. November 7, baby! Three years of no luck on the lottery means I am in this year. And I just have to be ready for it. And I will be, oh, yes, I will be! DONE! And it was pretty epic. I was initially disappointed, nay, crushed, by my performance there, but in hindsight, I had an amazing weekend with some great friends and really, it was a pretty cool adventure. And I was as ready for it as I could be. Mark that one off as an A. But don't discount the possibility that I throw my name back into the lottery to do it again some day...

Cross-train at least once a week. It's not much, but it's more than I've been doing for the last three years. Yoga, weights, upper-body, core, something other than my old standby running. Damn. Another F... Intentions were good, but when push comes to shove, nothing is as mentally rewarding and revitalizing as running. I know the benefits of yoga, and I know the corework is crucial. and I know, I know, I know...

Finish 100 situps and 100 pushups. Not necessarily at the same time. Situps are easier for me to do than pushups. But I will get back on these programs and work through all six weeks of them. And if I falter, then I will start over again, and again, and again, as many times as I need to until it is habit and it is done. And another one... Sheesh, I kinda suck... I may also have had to remove these programs from my iPod touch to make room for more Red Hot Chili Peppers songs... OK, fine. I'll put them back on... anyone want to volunteer to do these with me and be my accountability partner for these? Bueller? Bueller?

Get over the weight, already! I'm 40 years old, dammit, and if I don't want to count calories, or fat grams, or whatever, then I'm not going to. Yes, I am still heavier than I should be. Yes, I still fret over it more than I should. I am going to run, bike, swim, stretch, play as often as I can. I am going to eat healthy, nutritious whole foods more than I eat processed, sugary, junk foods. And then I'm going to just let it go and let my weight be what my weight will be. As long as my blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. all check out (and they do right now), I'm not going to obsess. I did it!! Thanks to a couple of months working with my nutritionist Eve, I realized that I will never be a skinny-mini or anything close to it. She helped me understand that the "goal weight" I had in my head for the last five years is not something that I could maintain realistically with my lifestyle as it currently is. I backslid some after my surgery curtailed my workouts some, but I know what I should be eating and when, and I definitely saw an improvement in the quality of my workouts when I was following her plan closely. I am still lumpy and squishy, but I know that I eat well 90% of the time and I don't let my weight keep me from doing the things that I want to do. I know that my new goal weight is completely attainable though, and while I will continue to work toward that goal, i will not obsess over it and I will not give it power over my moods and my happiness.

How's that for all or nothing? I either blasted it out of the park with an A+ and extra points, or I failed miserably!! Nice. Glad to see I am at least consistent in my inconsistency. Also I find it humorous/sad that the goals I still need to work on are things that have been on my list for a few years now.

But like I said, when I look at the year subjectively, I am pretty pleased with how things worked out in the end. And as I mentioned in my last post, I am most happy with the people I met this year, and the people touched my life in 2010. I hope that if I could brighten someone's day with my laugh, or inspire someone with an encouraging word or a high-five, that it would count a lot more toward making 2010 a success than any report card on the numbers goals I had laid out 12 months ago.

Stay tuned for my 2011 goals. I've already laid out the first few months of my race schedule, but there are more global goals that I still need to formulate and work on the attainment plan for, so that might take a few more days to crystallize.

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About Me

I'm a wife, a working mom, a runner. I like trails better than roads, but any route will do if I'm with my frunners (friends + runners). I constantly question my athletic ability but I also am constantly pushing my limits. My mental perseverance far outweighs any natural talents.

I live in what I affectionately call "Suburbia South" deep in the heart of Texas, with the love of my life and my theatre kid. I also have a college freshman, so I feel older than I really am (except when I'm at the ballpark enjoying the atmosphere). I used to run marathons, I've dabbled in sprint tris, and I love to hike in the woods. I have awesome friends.